Shure - AONIC 50 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones - Black

These are a STELLAR performer, especially for in-home use

I own more earbuds and headphones than I'd like to admit, including the older Aonic 50 gen 1, and these Shure 50 Sonic Gen 2 are my top pick for in-home use when neutral sound quality (across all genres), solid connection, and comfort are my top priorities. Pros: - Sound quality is fantastic, and accurate across ALL noise cancelling settings. (check out the SoundGuys review for recommended EQ changes in the Shure play app - I'd consider them required to get the best out of these headphones) - Microphone quality is definitely reliable and better than average in lower noise environments. Your experiences with background noise may vary, and you'll generally be better off with a headset with a boom microphone for frequent calls, but I typically use these in quieter environments and only take occasional calls with them - when I do, it's a good experience for me and the caller on the other end. - The "environment modes" (noise cancelling (ANC) and (hear through / transparency) are quite natural and there's an easy to use physical switch on the headphones to toggle into the different modes. Additionally, the Shure play app has a nice array of settings that can be adjusted to tailor this to your preferences, including how the mode works when on calls. - The bluetooth connection generally works well across all of my (mostly Apple) devices. If it doesn't immediately connect, I just restart the headphones in pairing mode and select them on my device and they quickly connect. - These are comfortable for my small/medium sized head. They're a bit on the larger and heavier side, but the quality is there and I find the ear cups and headband to be comfortable with short breaks every once in awhile. - Battery life is long enough that they rarely need to be charged when using them for an hour or 2 at a time. Charging speed feels on par with other devices. I don't have any battery anxiety with these. Cons: - The only notable con on these is that, when environment modes are activated, these headphones can react to sharp/loud noises with what I can only describe as a small "pop" noise. If you're considering noise cancelling headphones to use in scenarios with frequent sharp/loud noises, I'd check in with Shure before buying to see if they have a Firmware update or any suggestions to avoid this. - They're on the larger/heavier side so those looking to carry and frequently take out and stow them may want to find smaller/lighter options. Conclusion: Other than the cons listed above, I can strongly recommend these headphones for the right uses. They've opened up detail in music that I'd never heard prior and really stand out amongst the others for at-home listening. I can have them on for hours at end, with or without noise cancelling, and experience virtually no fatigue. I wasn't compensated in any way for this review, but after noticing no reviews yet on the Shure website, I felt obligated to chime in as they're really great headphones for the right users.

Jer N . Review provider: walmart.com